Reviews of Michael Stadler's Music
Bill Frater
Stadler is a Bay Area multi-instrumentalist whose CD looks and sounds like the work of an acoustic veteran rather than a debut release. Tastefully mixing elements of folk, old timey, bluegrass and a respectful dash of classic country to make a unique blend that's fits as comfortably as a well-worn pair of jeans. His smoky voice exudes a humble confidence, going from a soft whisper to a moaning wail. The title and a few of the songs pay homage to his northern Michigan roots where they have real winters. Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum help out on a few tracks and Jon Mitguard adds some fine steel. The bottom line is always the songs and I like the mix here- a few instrumentals, some nice originals, Nick Lowe's Rose of England and an obscure Buck Owens tune all combine to make it a great ride. He closes with a cool triple fiddle tune Chop Another Cord (all played by Stadler) that is a highlight.
Ian Zack
Clawhammer * is an old-time banjo picking style, but over the last 25 years a few adventuresome guitarists have adapted the thumb-based technique to the six-string box. This collection features 13 clawhammer solos by Steve Baughman, Jody Stecher, Michael Stadler, and Alec Stone Sweet and is billed as the first full album devoted to the style. Because of the guitar's greater resonance, playing it clawhammer fashion often results in an airier sound than that of the open-backed banjo. Thus Stone Sweet's "Shady Grove" feels more explorative and less solemn than the typical old-time rendition of this standard. Stadler's original "Dogs in the Creekbed/Gator in the Lap Lane" is a haunting, rhythmic tour de force. There's no telling where clawhammer guitar technique will go from here, but these musicians have set the bar high." *Wikipedia Clawhammer discussion
Rootsrock.com
An East Bay bluegrass stalwart known for his tasteful and restrained musicianship.
Mary Tilson
Michael Stadler has the voice of a very loud, articulate angel. He's a master interpreter with a beautiful voice, a thoughtful and humorous songwriter. And he's an accomplished and sophisticated player of just about anything with strings. A total pleasure. Don't miss him!
Laurie Lewis, SF Bay Area bluegrass musician
...all-round musician Michael Stadler (one hell of a country singer).
Larry Kelp
...a typically eclectic set on any number of instruments; he's one of those musicians who believes you don't have to be flashy to be good - and he's much better than good.
Acoustic Guitar magazine
Stadler's original "Dogs in the Creekbed/Gator in the Lap Lane" is a haunting, rhythmic tour de force.
News
Molly Tuttle interviewed in Variety Magazine
Molly Tuttle mentions Michael Stadler in Variety interview.
Molly Tuttle Breaks Down Her Deft Right-Hand Techniques
In a post, Video Lesson: Molly Tuttle Breaks Down Her Deft Right-Hand Techniques on Feb 28, 2022, Mary Tuttle mentions Michael Stadler:
Q: Another right-hand technique you’re known for is clawhammer-style guitar, where that hand creates a flurry of notes. How did you first come across this approach, and can you explain how it works?
A: It’s more commonly played on the banjo than the guitar—you hear it in old-time music a lot. As a teenager I was getting into a lot of old-time music and also listening to Gillian Welch, who plays clawhammer banjo on some of her songs. So I started learning the style on banjo and then, when I was at a music camp in California, there was a guy named Michael Stadler who taught a class on clawhammer guitar. I’d never heard of it on guitar before, but I thought it was very cool, and he showed me the tuning that I still use a lot, which is similar to a banjo tuning.
Learn to play clawhammer guitar with Molly Tuttle
Published on August 25, 2020, Molly Tuttle mentions Michael Stadler:
Let’s begin with a look at a style of fingerpicking known as clawhammer guitar.
I first learned about this style from a guitar player named Michael Stadler out in the San Francisco Bay area. As a teenager, I became very interested in clawhammer banjo, which is a style of banjo playing associated with old-time music and Appalachian string music.